Auction time
Hats off to drivers
The 2021 Junior Livestock Auction moo-ves into the fairgrounds.
The El Dorado County Office of Education celebrates its transportation team. News, etc. B1
Inside, B3
170
C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
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Volume 170 • Issue 70 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
New suspect head 'em up arrested in connection to 2019 killing Thomas Frey Staff writer El Dorado County sheriff ’s deputies arrested 40-year-old Justin Kremer Thursday after following up on new evidence regarding the 2019 death of Pleasant Valley woman Heather Gumina-Waters. Kremer, who has a South Lake Tahoe Justin Kremer address, is suspected of being an accessory in Gumina-Waters’ disappearance and alleged murder, according to sheriff ’s officials. His bail has been set at $395,000 on the felony accessory charge. Gumina-Waters’ husband Anthony Gumina was arrested in September 2019 and subsequently charged with five felonies, including murder in the first degree; he is currently awaiting trial. No further details have been released regarding Kremer’s involvement. Heather Gumina-Waters was reported missing by her family July 19, 2019. For nearly two months volunteers, friends and family searched for the 33-year-old mother of three. Sheriff ’s investigators say her vehicle was found somewhere in El Dorado County Aug. 9, 2019, although its exact location was not disclosed. Authorities initially arrested Anthony Gumina “on an outstanding, no-bail warrant for domestic
Photo by Laurie Edwards
Crowds line the street to greet the Highway 50 Association Wagon Train as it arrives in downtown Placerville Saturday afternoon on its 72nd trek over the Sierra. The Wagon Train’s journey began in Meyers June 6, covering about 50 miles by horseback and horse-drawn wagon.
See suspect, page A2
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Placerville delivers balanced budget Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer Placerville’s Assistant City Manager and Finance Director Dave Warren presented a balanced 2021-22 operating and capital improvement program budget for future adoption at last week’s City Council meeting “This budget does actually restore some of the losses we had during the depths of the pandemic,” said Warren at the outset
of the presentation. He also teased to some other good news in the budget. “We started out with a status-quo budget. What I mean by that is we looked at the budget from a year ago when we were fully open,” he said, further explaining that it was assumed the city would be back to normal — for the most part. Warren reminded the council that a budget is a living document that requires adjustment throughout the year as things change and needs present. Placerville ranked No. 25 in per capita sales tax out of 539 municipalities. The General Fund budget will see an increase in medical insurance cost at 10% and a minimum wage increase at 7.14%. There will also be an increase in pension contributions of $156,011. The new budget allows the city to reclassify n
See budget, page A3
Mountain Democrat photo by Andrew Vonderschmitt
Mountain Democrat photo by Andrew Vonderschmitt
The Wagon Train drives along Highway 50 to Pollock Pines Friday.
1 DENTIST DENTIST!
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Photo by Laurie Edwards
Mountain men, left photo, find respite before saddling up for the uphill trek out of the American River canyon to Pollock Pines Friday. Abbey Walker, 13, left, and her two sisters, Olivia, 7, and Lilly, 11, of Placerville, right photo, visit Nugget the miniature donkey brought to Saturday’s Wagon Train Days by California Living History Specialist Perry Keys, far left, of Pilot Hill.
Three Years Straight!
New Patients Always Welcome!
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General & Cosmetic Dentistry
“Look For My Column On Page 3 Today!”
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